Many vehicles on the market employ cradle, subframe, or powertrain and suspension support systems. Various repair operations on vehicles require removing the front or the rear subframe entirely from the vehicle while it is raised off the ground by a lifting apparatus in a repair bay. Even in the case of vehicles which do not utilize these specific support systems, repair operations often require partial disassembly to the point where wheels and supporting structures are removed entirely from the body of the vehicle.
Once the vehicle is in this partially disassembled state, the vehicle cannot easily nor safely be moved off the lifting apparatus. In addition, a partially disassembled vehicle often cannot be safely placed upon a flat surface without the weight of the vehicle damaging the components which come in contact with the flat surface. Thus, the vehicle may be required to remain on the lift apparatus in the repair bay while repair operations on vehicle components are completed. During this time, the repair bay is occupied by the partially disassembled vehicle, and is unavailable for repair operations on other vehicles. If the repair is delayed, the repair bay remains unavailable for a prolonged period of time. This inconvenience deprives the repair shop of revenue and deprives the community of repair services, despite the availability of parts and labor to perform said repairs.
Accordingly, the prior art has attempted to provide a solution to these problems in the form of a vehicle mover or dolly which supports the disassembled vehicle so that it may be lowered from the lift and transported out of the repair bay for storage. One prior art device had the disabled vehicle rest on clevises on top of two connected dollies, each dolly supported by a pair swivel casters. Unfortunately, this solution does not safely secure the vehicle during transport, which risks injury both the the vehicle and to nearby people and property. Additionally, irregularities in the floor as well as physical obstruction created by the lifting apparatus makes lowering a vehicle safely onto this device's clevises difficult or impossible in many repair bays.
Another known device was a dolly that connected to the vehicle at four points of the vehicle frame in an attempt to provided added safety and stability while moving the vehicle. This dolly was also incompatible with many repair bay lift apparatuses due to floor irregularities and the obstruction of the lifting apparatus. Because of the four connection points, the dolly was cumbersome to lift and install; it could not permit the movement of a vehicle with both front and rear subframes removed unless eight attachment points were available on the vehicle.
Other attempts to solve the problem involved modifications to a hydraulic floor jack, either to more easily roll while lifting a vehicle, or to more securely attach to the vehicle to be moved. Known solutions have been unable to produce a dolly that can easily and securely receive and transport the disabled vehicle, due the challenges presented by limited available vehicle support points, floor irregularities and obstructions, and the arrangement of the repair bay lift apparatus itself.